Evidence for Dynamically Driven Formation of the GW170817 Neutron Star Binary in NGC 4993

A. Palmese; W. Hartley; F. Tarsitano; C. Conselice; O. Lahav; S. Allam; J. Annis; H. Lin; M. Soares-Santos; D. Tucker; D. Brout; M. Banerji; K. Bechtol; H. T. Diehl; A. Fruchter; J. Garcia-Bellido; K. Herner; A. J. Levan; T. S. Li; C. Lidman; K. Misra; M. Sako; D. Scolnic; M. Smith; T. M.C. Abbott; F. B. Abdalla; A. Benoit-Lévy; E. Bertin; D. Brooks; E. Buckley-Geer; A. Carnero Rosell; M. Carrasco Kind; J. Carretero; F. J. Castander; C. E. Cunha; C. B. D'Andrea; L. N. Da Costa; C. Davis; D. L. Depoy; S. Desai; J. P. Dietrich; P. Doel; A. Drlica-Wagner; T. F. Eifler; A. E. Evrard; B. Flaugher; P. Fosalba; J. Frieman; E. Gaztanaga; D. W. Gerdes; T. Giannantonio; D. Gruen; R. A. Gruendl; J. Gschwend; G. Gutierrez; K. Honscheid; B. Jain; D. J. James; T. Jeltema; M. W.G. Johnson; M. D. Johnson; E. Krause; R. Kron; K. Kuehn; S. Kuhlmann; N. Kuropatkin; M. Lima; M. A.G. Maia; M. March; J. L. Marshall; R. G. McMahon; F. Menanteau; C. J. Miller; R. Miquel; E. Neilsen; R. L.C. Ogando; A. A. Plazas; K. Reil; A. K. Romer; E. Sanchez; R. Schindler; R. C. Smith; F. Sobreira; E. Suchyta; M. E.C. Swanson; G. Tarle; D. Thomas; R. C. Thomas; A. R. Walker; J. Weller; Y. Zhang; J. Zuntz

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660

Evidence for Dynamically Driven Formation of the GW170817 Neutron Star Binary in NGC 4993

A. Palmese, W. Hartley, F. Tarsitano, C. Conselice, O. Lahav, S. Allam, J. Annis, H. Lin, M. Soares-Santos, D. Tucker, D. Brout, M. Banerji, K. Bechtol, H. T. Diehl, A. Fruchter, J. Garcia-Bellido, K. Herner, A. J. Levan, T. S. Li, C. LidmanK. Misra, M. Sako, D. Scolnic, M. Smith, T. M.C. Abbott, F. B. Abdalla, A. Benoit-Lévy, E. Bertin, D. Brooks, E. Buckley-Geer, A. Carnero Rosell, M. Carrasco Kind, J. Carretero, F. J. Castander, C. E. Cunha, C. B. D'Andrea, L. N. Da Costa, C. Davis, D. L. Depoy, S. Desai, J. P. Dietrich, P. Doel, A. Drlica-Wagner, T. F. Eifler, A. E. Evrard, B. Flaugher, P. Fosalba, J. Frieman, E. Gaztanaga, D. W. Gerdes, T. Giannantonio, D. Gruen, R. A. Gruendl, J. Gschwend, G. Gutierrez, K. Honscheid, B. Jain, D. J. James, T. Jeltema, M. W.G. Johnson, M. D. Johnson, E. Krause, R. Kron, K. Kuehn, S. Kuhlmann, N. Kuropatkin, M. Lima, M. A.G. Maia, M. March, J. L. Marshall, R. G. McMahon, F. Menanteau, C. J. Miller, R. Miquel, E. Neilsen, R. L.C. Ogando, A. A. Plazas, K. Reil, A. K. Romer, E. Sanchez, R. Schindler, R. C. Smith, F. Sobreira, E. Suchyta, M. E.C. Swanson, G. Tarle, D. Thomas, R. C. Thomas, A. R. Walker, J. Weller, Y. Zhang, J. Zuntz

Workflow Systems

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a study of NGC 4993, the host galaxy of the GW170817 gravitational-wave event, the GRB 170817A short gamma-ray burst (sGRB), and the AT 2017gfo kilonova. We use Dark Energy Camera imaging, AAT spectra, and publicly available data, relating our findings to binary neutron star (BNS) formation scenarios and merger delay timescales. NGC 4993 is a nearby early-type galaxy, with an i-band Sérsic index n = 4.0 and low asymmetry (A = 0.04 ±0.01). These properties are unusual for sGRB hosts. However, NGC 4993 presents shell-like structures and dust lanes indicative of a recent galaxy merger, with the optical transient located close to a shell. We constrain the star formation history (SFH) of the galaxy assuming that the galaxy merger produced a star formation burst, but find little to no ongoing star formation in either spatially resolved broadband SED or spectral fitting. We use the best-fit SFH to estimate the BNS merger rate in this type of galaxy, as . If star formation is the only considered BNS formation scenario, the expected number of BNS mergers from early-type galaxies detectable with LIGO during its first two observing seasons is , as opposed to ∼0.5 from all galaxy types. Hypothesizing that the binary formed due to dynamical interactions during the galaxy merger, the subsequent time elapsed can constrain the delay time of the BNS coalescence. By using velocity dispersion estimates and the position of the shells, we find that the galaxy merger occurred t _mer ≲ 200 Myr prior to the BNS coalescence.

Original language	English
Article number	L34
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	849
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660
State	Published - Nov 10 2017

Funding

A.P., W.H., and O.L. are supported by ERC Advanced Grant FP7/291329. Based on data obtained from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. Support for MAST for non-HST data is provided by the NASA Office of Space Science via grant NNX09AF08G and by other grants and contracts. Funding for the DES Projects has been provided by the DOE and NSF (USA), MEC/MICINN/MINECO (Spain), STFC (UK), HEFCE (UK), NCSA (UIUC), KICP (U. Chicago), CCAPP (Ohio State), MIFPA (Texas A&M), CNPQ, FAPERJ, FINEP (Brazil), DFG (Germany), and the Collaborating Institutions in the Dark Energy Survey. The DES Data Management System is supported by the NSF under grant numbers AST-1138766 and AST-1536171. The DES participants from Spanish institutions are partially supported by MINECO under grants AYA2015-71825, ESP2015-66861, FPA2015-68048, SEV-2016-0588, SEV-2016-0597, and MDM-2015-0509, some of which include ERDF funds from the European Union. IFAE is partially funded by the CERCA program of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) including ERC grant agreements 240672, 291329, and 306478. We acknowledge support from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), through project number CE110001020. This Letter has been authored by Fermi Research Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11359 with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this Letter, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.

Funders	Funder number
Collaborating Institutions in the Dark Energy Survey
Fermi Research Alliance, LLC	DE-AC02-07CH11359
KICP
MIFPA
NASA Office of Space Science	NNX09AF08G
National Science Foundation	1138766, AST-1138766, 1125897, AST-1536171
U.S. Department of Energy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NAS5-26555
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Office of Science
High Energy Physics
Texas A and M University
National Centre for Supercomputing Applications
Seventh Framework Programme	240672, 306478, 291329
Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Ohio State University
Science and Technology Facilities Council	ST/P000495/1, ST/L000733/1, ST/N000927/1
European Commission
European Research Council	FP7/291329
Australian Research Council	CE110001020
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Generalitat de Catalunya
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad	SEV-2016-0588, SEV-2016-0597, ESP2015-66861, MDM-2015-0509, FPA2015-68048, AYA2015-71825
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
European Regional Development Fund

Keywords

galaxies: evolution
galaxies: individual (NGC 4993)
galaxies: structure
gravitational waves

Access to Document

10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660

Cite this

Palmese, A., Hartley, W., Tarsitano, F., Conselice, C., Lahav, O., Allam, S., Annis, J., Lin, H., Soares-Santos, M., Tucker, D., Brout, D., Banerji, M., Bechtol, K., Diehl, H. T., Fruchter, A., Garcia-Bellido, J., Herner, K., Levan, A. J., Li, T. S., ... Zuntz, J. (2017). Evidence for Dynamically Driven Formation of the GW170817 Neutron Star Binary in NGC 4993. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 849(2), Article L34. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660

@article{e834b6428e1b4c51883698f8538b18e9,

title = "Evidence for Dynamically Driven Formation of the GW170817 Neutron Star Binary in NGC 4993",

abstract = "We present a study of NGC 4993, the host galaxy of the GW170817 gravitational-wave event, the GRB 170817A short gamma-ray burst (sGRB), and the AT 2017gfo kilonova. We use Dark Energy Camera imaging, AAT spectra, and publicly available data, relating our findings to binary neutron star (BNS) formation scenarios and merger delay timescales. NGC 4993 is a nearby early-type galaxy, with an i-band S{\'e}rsic index n = 4.0 and low asymmetry (A = 0.04 ±0.01). These properties are unusual for sGRB hosts. However, NGC 4993 presents shell-like structures and dust lanes indicative of a recent galaxy merger, with the optical transient located close to a shell. We constrain the star formation history (SFH) of the galaxy assuming that the galaxy merger produced a star formation burst, but find little to no ongoing star formation in either spatially resolved broadband SED or spectral fitting. We use the best-fit SFH to estimate the BNS merger rate in this type of galaxy, as . If star formation is the only considered BNS formation scenario, the expected number of BNS mergers from early-type galaxies detectable with LIGO during its first two observing seasons is , as opposed to ∼0.5 from all galaxy types. Hypothesizing that the binary formed due to dynamical interactions during the galaxy merger, the subsequent time elapsed can constrain the delay time of the BNS coalescence. By using velocity dispersion estimates and the position of the shells, we find that the galaxy merger occurred t mer ≲ 200 Myr prior to the BNS coalescence.",

keywords = "galaxies: evolution, galaxies: individual (NGC 4993), galaxies: structure, gravitational waves",

author = "A. Palmese and W. Hartley and F. Tarsitano and C. Conselice and O. Lahav and S. Allam and J. Annis and H. Lin and M. Soares-Santos and D. Tucker and D. Brout and M. Banerji and K. Bechtol and Diehl, {H. T.} and A. Fruchter and J. Garcia-Bellido and K. Herner and Levan, {A. J.} and Li, {T. S.} and C. Lidman and K. Misra and M. Sako and D. Scolnic and M. Smith and Abbott, {T. M.C.} and Abdalla, {F. B.} and A. Benoit-L{\'e}vy and E. Bertin and D. Brooks and E. Buckley-Geer and Rosell, {A. Carnero} and Kind, {M. Carrasco} and J. Carretero and Castander, {F. J.} and Cunha, {C. E.} and D'Andrea, {C. B.} and {Da Costa}, {L. N.} and C. Davis and Depoy, {D. L.} and S. Desai and Dietrich, {J. P.} and P. Doel and A. Drlica-Wagner and Eifler, {T. F.} and Evrard, {A. E.} and B. Flaugher and P. Fosalba and J. Frieman and E. Gaztanaga and Gerdes, {D. W.} and T. Giannantonio and D. Gruen and Gruendl, {R. A.} and J. Gschwend and G. Gutierrez and K. Honscheid and B. Jain and James, {D. J.} and T. Jeltema and Johnson, {M. W.G.} and Johnson, {M. D.} and E. Krause and R. Kron and K. Kuehn and S. Kuhlmann and N. Kuropatkin and M. Lima and Maia, {M. A.G.} and M. March and Marshall, {J. L.} and McMahon, {R. G.} and F. Menanteau and Miller, {C. J.} and R. Miquel and E. Neilsen and Ogando, {R. L.C.} and Plazas, {A. A.} and K. Reil and Romer, {A. K.} and E. Sanchez and R. Schindler and Smith, {R. C.} and F. Sobreira and E. Suchyta and Swanson, {M. E.C.} and G. Tarle and D. Thomas and Thomas, {R. C.} and Walker, {A. R.} and J. Weller and Y. Zhang and J. Zuntz",

year = "2017",

month = nov,

day = "10",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660",

language = "English",

volume = "849",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2",

}

Palmese, A, Hartley, W, Tarsitano, F, Conselice, C, Lahav, O, Allam, S, Annis, J, Lin, H, Soares-Santos, M, Tucker, D, Brout, D, Banerji, M, Bechtol, K, Diehl, HT, Fruchter, A, Garcia-Bellido, J, Herner, K, Levan, AJ, Li, TS, Lidman, C, Misra, K, Sako, M, Scolnic, D, Smith, M, Abbott, TMC, Abdalla, FB, Benoit-Lévy, A, Bertin, E, Brooks, D, Buckley-Geer, E, Rosell, AC, Kind, MC, Carretero, J, Castander, FJ, Cunha, CE, D'Andrea, CB, Da Costa, LN, Davis, C, Depoy, DL, Desai, S, Dietrich, JP, Doel, P, Drlica-Wagner, A, Eifler, TF, Evrard, AE, Flaugher, B, Fosalba, P, Frieman, J, Gaztanaga, E, Gerdes, DW, Giannantonio, T, Gruen, D, Gruendl, RA, Gschwend, J, Gutierrez, G, Honscheid, K, Jain, B, James, DJ, Jeltema, T, Johnson, MWG, Johnson, MD, Krause, E, Kron, R, Kuehn, K, Kuhlmann, S, Kuropatkin, N, Lima, M, Maia, MAG, March, M, Marshall, JL, McMahon, RG, Menanteau, F, Miller, CJ, Miquel, R, Neilsen, E, Ogando, RLC, Plazas, AA, Reil, K, Romer, AK, Sanchez, E, Schindler, R, Smith, RC, Sobreira, F, Suchyta, E, Swanson, MEC, Tarle, G, Thomas, D, Thomas, RC, Walker, AR, Weller, J, Zhang, Y & Zuntz, J 2017, 'Evidence for Dynamically Driven Formation of the GW170817 Neutron Star Binary in NGC 4993', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 849, no. 2, L34. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evidence for Dynamically Driven Formation of the GW170817 Neutron Star Binary in NGC 4993

AU - Palmese, A.

AU - Hartley, W.

AU - Tarsitano, F.

AU - Conselice, C.

AU - Lahav, O.

AU - Allam, S.

AU - Annis, J.

AU - Lin, H.

AU - Soares-Santos, M.

AU - Tucker, D.

AU - Brout, D.

AU - Banerji, M.

AU - Bechtol, K.

AU - Diehl, H. T.

AU - Fruchter, A.

AU - Garcia-Bellido, J.

AU - Herner, K.

AU - Levan, A. J.

AU - Li, T. S.

AU - Lidman, C.

AU - Misra, K.

AU - Sako, M.

AU - Scolnic, D.

AU - Smith, M.

AU - Abbott, T. M.C.

AU - Abdalla, F. B.

AU - Benoit-Lévy, A.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Buckley-Geer, E.

AU - Rosell, A. Carnero

AU - Kind, M. Carrasco

AU - Carretero, J.

AU - Castander, F. J.

AU - Cunha, C. E.

AU - D'Andrea, C. B.

AU - Da Costa, L. N.

AU - Davis, C.

AU - Depoy, D. L.

AU - Desai, S.

AU - Dietrich, J. P.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Drlica-Wagner, A.

AU - Eifler, T. F.

AU - Evrard, A. E.

AU - Flaugher, B.

AU - Fosalba, P.

AU - Frieman, J.

AU - Gaztanaga, E.

AU - Gerdes, D. W.

AU - Giannantonio, T.

AU - Gruen, D.

AU - Gruendl, R. A.

AU - Gschwend, J.

AU - Gutierrez, G.

AU - Honscheid, K.

AU - Jain, B.

AU - James, D. J.

AU - Jeltema, T.

AU - Johnson, M. W.G.

AU - Johnson, M. D.

AU - Krause, E.

AU - Kron, R.

AU - Kuehn, K.

AU - Kuhlmann, S.

AU - Kuropatkin, N.

AU - Lima, M.

AU - Maia, M. A.G.

AU - March, M.

AU - Marshall, J. L.

AU - McMahon, R. G.

AU - Menanteau, F.

AU - Miller, C. J.

AU - Miquel, R.

AU - Neilsen, E.

AU - Ogando, R. L.C.

AU - Plazas, A. A.

AU - Reil, K.

AU - Romer, A. K.

AU - Sanchez, E.

AU - Schindler, R.

AU - Smith, R. C.

AU - Sobreira, F.

AU - Suchyta, E.

AU - Swanson, M. E.C.

AU - Tarle, G.

AU - Thomas, D.

AU - Thomas, R. C.

AU - Walker, A. R.

AU - Weller, J.

AU - Zhang, Y.

AU - Zuntz, J.

PY - 2017/11/10

Y1 - 2017/11/10

N2 - We present a study of NGC 4993, the host galaxy of the GW170817 gravitational-wave event, the GRB 170817A short gamma-ray burst (sGRB), and the AT 2017gfo kilonova. We use Dark Energy Camera imaging, AAT spectra, and publicly available data, relating our findings to binary neutron star (BNS) formation scenarios and merger delay timescales. NGC 4993 is a nearby early-type galaxy, with an i-band Sérsic index n = 4.0 and low asymmetry (A = 0.04 ±0.01). These properties are unusual for sGRB hosts. However, NGC 4993 presents shell-like structures and dust lanes indicative of a recent galaxy merger, with the optical transient located close to a shell. We constrain the star formation history (SFH) of the galaxy assuming that the galaxy merger produced a star formation burst, but find little to no ongoing star formation in either spatially resolved broadband SED or spectral fitting. We use the best-fit SFH to estimate the BNS merger rate in this type of galaxy, as . If star formation is the only considered BNS formation scenario, the expected number of BNS mergers from early-type galaxies detectable with LIGO during its first two observing seasons is , as opposed to ∼0.5 from all galaxy types. Hypothesizing that the binary formed due to dynamical interactions during the galaxy merger, the subsequent time elapsed can constrain the delay time of the BNS coalescence. By using velocity dispersion estimates and the position of the shells, we find that the galaxy merger occurred t mer ≲ 200 Myr prior to the BNS coalescence.

AB - We present a study of NGC 4993, the host galaxy of the GW170817 gravitational-wave event, the GRB 170817A short gamma-ray burst (sGRB), and the AT 2017gfo kilonova. We use Dark Energy Camera imaging, AAT spectra, and publicly available data, relating our findings to binary neutron star (BNS) formation scenarios and merger delay timescales. NGC 4993 is a nearby early-type galaxy, with an i-band Sérsic index n = 4.0 and low asymmetry (A = 0.04 ±0.01). These properties are unusual for sGRB hosts. However, NGC 4993 presents shell-like structures and dust lanes indicative of a recent galaxy merger, with the optical transient located close to a shell. We constrain the star formation history (SFH) of the galaxy assuming that the galaxy merger produced a star formation burst, but find little to no ongoing star formation in either spatially resolved broadband SED or spectral fitting. We use the best-fit SFH to estimate the BNS merger rate in this type of galaxy, as . If star formation is the only considered BNS formation scenario, the expected number of BNS mergers from early-type galaxies detectable with LIGO during its first two observing seasons is , as opposed to ∼0.5 from all galaxy types. Hypothesizing that the binary formed due to dynamical interactions during the galaxy merger, the subsequent time elapsed can constrain the delay time of the BNS coalescence. By using velocity dispersion estimates and the position of the shells, we find that the galaxy merger occurred t mer ≲ 200 Myr prior to the BNS coalescence.

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: individual (NGC 4993)

KW - galaxies: structure

KW - gravitational waves

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034425963&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/aa9660

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85034425963

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 849

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L34

ER -

Evidence for Dynamically Driven Formation of the GW170817 Neutron Star Binary in NGC 4993

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this